There are many types of vehicles, either land based, air based, or water based designed to transport goods, people, or conduct other type of work or recreational activities. While some of these vehicles are easily accessible like a car, a motorcycle, or truck, other crafts travel longer distances, move rapidly, or are in difficult to reach locations that create unique problems associated with the management of these crafts. For example, difficult to access crafts include aircrafts, ships, trains, space ships, deep sea exploration vehicles, submarines, military vessels, helicopters, rescue devices, etc.
One historical method of communication with crafts relies on a human element. A driver or pilot sits in front of a device and communicates via radio communication with a remote base. As technology evolved, the methods of communication between a remote station and a pilot improved but all these systems remain vulnerable to onboard problems experienced by the pilot. In case of a debilitating incident, or unexpected attack by a third party such as pirates, the remote craft is left vulnerable to theft, and manipulation. Typically a radio communication network helps provide voice and data communication between a mobile unit and a command and control center. In return, the data received from the mobile craft can include status data, such as geographic location, heading, speed, engine and fuel data transmitted back for monitoring.
In non land based system, on-board sensors and telematics can be mounted. Telematics is the integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, also known generally as Information and Communication Technology. Telematics is the science of sending, receiving and storing information via telecommunication devices, some telematics device also interact directly with sensors and other elements they monitor. Recently, with the arrival of the Global Positioning System (GPS), telematics are applied to navigational systems placed onboard vehicles with integrated computers and mobile communication systems. Within the scope of this disclosure, the term telematics is to be construed broadly to include land based asset tracking devices, vehicle tracking technology, fleet management control, satellite navigation, mobile data and mobile television telecommunication in vehicles, wireless vehicle safety communications, emergency warning onboard systems in vehicles, intelligent vehicle technologies, or even automate vehicle related services linked with vehicle movement.
FIG. 1 describes a small portable diagnostic system for a watercraft where two portable computers are used both onboard of the craft and outside of the craft to conduct diagnostic testing. A sensor is connected to different devices such as a battery, a sensor, a control device of a drive, and allows for the sensor based information to be displayed on the remote computer such as a laptop via tables and spreadsheets. Some limited graphical interface can be used to passively diagnose the vessel. This technology is not associated with the use of onboard telematics, or the creation of a useful method of control and diagnostic for crafts. This system allows maintenance crews to conduct basic maintenance checks from a boat and from a pit base located on the side of a lake. This reference teaches a tool to help racing teams anticipate breakdowns in vessels when possible by observing a change in sensed values. This device is intrusive, and cannot act upon the vessel from a distance.
FIG. 2 from the prior art a real-time monitoring system for video, audio and other data transmissions from multiple mobile units and fixed sources called transportation vehicles at one or more command and control centers. Different vehicles, such as for example airplanes are equipped with monitoring devices such as the famous “black box” recorder. Information is reported in real time via a data stream to a communication network to go to one or more command and control centers. A device is installed in the transportation vehicle that includes an emitter for sending data, a disabler to disabling the control of the vehicle from the command and control center, and a control device for monitoring events and data from the center. The control center is then capable of monitoring the different inputs from the vehicle once an alarm is enabled.
This technology offers no remote control capacities for navigation, as signals are often delayed. Further the technology is passive as it only serves as an interface for the control of a software layer operated remotely. For example, if a plane is equipped with an aft video feed, an operator on the ground is given access via a network of communication such as an IP WAN network of the feed. Much like an auto pilot would work, assuming the feed if of sufficient quality to navigate remotely the place, a remote operator can send navigational commands to the plane. This technology is not central to the vessel and cannot serve to manipulate the different components of the plane. What is needed is a method and system for remote diagnostics of vessels and watercrafts based on remote control technology capable of greater flexibility and control over the vessel that simply at the software interface level.
FIG. 3 also from the prior art shows a limited active diagnostic tool and system for maintenance programs. An onboard telematics is used to measure a single value, such as the level of oil in a car. One a preprogrammed problematic value (i.e. a low oil reading) is measured, the information is sent via a wireless system to a call sensor. Based on the type of problem encountered, the car owner is notified via cell phone, via speaker based system in his car or even via the internet that maintenance is needed and what proposed corrective actions must be taken. This system is limited to the return of information to a remote system based on a sensor based reading for initiating a human based method for diagnostic, and repair of the vehicle. What is not described is an onboard device capable of complex diagnostic control, action, and implementation from a local or a remote center.
What is needed is an integrated onboard system capable of interfacing as both a diagnostic agent and a control agent for difficult to access vessels using telematics. The system must also be used to process data and offer online monitoring, interception, diagnostic, and control. The integrated system must also be able to process data and ultimately create areas of opportunity where actions can result in optimized diagnostic and maintenance according to access to different facilities. Finally, what is needed is a remote watercraft diagnostic system capable of managing anticipatory routes of the watercraft with known maintenance ports to help optimize maintenance operations and reduce costs and disturbances with operations. Also what is needed is the capacity to interrupt normal operations of a vessel and take control in a deeper level of operation to better simulate sensitive information sent to the vessel via the telematics.
Telematics devices are computers with onboard memory and software operating within the memory. These devices also need to be serviced or accessed at regular intervals for upgrades of software, maintenance, to download stored information, access collected data, modify parameters, or collect test results when the telematics device is in test phase. To download the information, a hard wired connection via a port external to the device is accessed. A laptop, for example, can be used with a USB cable connected to a USB port on the telematics device. When the devices are difficult to access, the download and collection of data can be problematic. When data must be collected from a network of telematics devices, the collection process can be very burdensome. What is needed is a new method for collecting stored information on the telematics device, and interacting with the telematics device.
Telematics devices are equipped with a software layer in a processing space, and some type of wireless communication interface linked functionally to the processing space for communication with the external world. After data is collected from the telematics device, a software layer is used to conduct data processing before it is sent to users. For example, test data, based on the data acquired may be sent and manipulated more frequently, or may need to reach different users.